Mensah Martin K, Mensah-Darkwa Kwadwo, Drebenstedt Carsten, Annam Bright V, Armah Edward K
Department of Material Engineering, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana.
Institute of Mining and Special Civil Engineering, Freiberg University of Mining and Technology, Freiberg, Germany.
J Health Pollut. 2020 Feb 28;10(25):200305. doi: 10.5696/2156-9614-10.25.200305. eCollection 2020 Mar.
Underground miners can experience occupational health diseases due to exposure to particulate matter hazards.
The aim of the present study was to examine occupational exposures of underground miners to dust and diesel particulate matter and to identify exposure groups with high potential to develop associated health effects due to the presence of dust and diesel particulate matter (DPM) hazards in an underground gold mine in Ghana.
Purposive sampling was employed using gravimetric air samplers over an 8-hour time weighted average period. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) analytical Chapter Q and 5040 were used in determining crystalline silica dust and diesel particulate matter fractions, respectively. Structured questionnaires were administered to gather data on workers' level of awareness to dust and DPM exposures.
It was found that 41% of the sampled groups were exposed to higher crystalline silica levels above the (NIOSH) permissible exposure limit (PEL) level of 0.05 mg/m. For DPM, 49% of these groups had exposures above the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) PEL level of 160 μg/m. Among the 94 mine workers who responded to this study, 62% were found to be aware of the presence and hazardous nature of silica dust, 28% had minimal knowledge and the remaining were found to be unaware.
There are varying levels of dust and DPM due to the presence of silica-bearing rocks, the production of diesel fumes and inefficiencies of available mitigation measures. Research carried out over the past decades has found confirmed cases of silicosis and lung cancer due to high dust exposure levels. Rock drillers, blast men and shotcrete operators were found to be exposed to higher levels of dust and diesel particulate matter and are at greater risk of silicosis.
Obtained.
This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ghana and carried out under full consent of the mining company under study.
The authors declare no competing financial interests.
地下矿工由于接触颗粒物危害可能会患上职业健康疾病。
本研究的目的是调查地下矿工接触粉尘和柴油颗粒物的职业暴露情况，并确定在加纳的一个地下金矿中，由于存在粉尘和柴油颗粒物（DPM）危害而具有较高潜在健康影响发展风险的暴露群体。
采用重量法空气采样器在8小时时间加权平均期间进行有目的抽样。分别使用美国国家职业安全与健康研究所（NIOSH）分析方法章节Q和5040来测定结晶二氧化硅粉尘和柴油颗粒物部分。发放结构化问卷以收集工人对粉尘和DPM暴露的认知水平数据。
发现41%的采样组接触的结晶二氧化硅水平高于美国国家职业安全与健康研究所（NIOSH）规定的0.05毫克/立方米的允许暴露极限（PEL）水平。对于DPM，这些组中有49%的暴露水平高于美国矿山安全与健康管理局（MSHA）规定的160微克/立方米的PEL水平。在参与本研究的94名矿工中，62%的人知晓二氧化硅粉尘的存在及其有害性质，28%的人了解甚少，其余的人则不知情。
由于含硅岩石的存在、柴油烟雾的产生以及现有缓解措施的低效，粉尘和DPM的暴露水平各不相同。过去几十年的研究发现了因高粉尘暴露水平导致矽肺病和肺癌的确诊病例。凿岩工、爆破工和喷射混凝土操作工被发现接触到更高水平的粉尘和柴油颗粒物，患矽肺病的风险更大。
已获得。
本研究得到了加纳夸梅·恩克鲁玛科技大学伦理委员会的批准，并在接受研究的矿业公司的完全同意下进行。
作者声明不存在竞争性财务利益。
